Allotment Site Regulations
Perth and Kinross Council · 26 March 2025
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 26 March 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality ___________________________________________________________________ Committee or Board: Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee Date of Meeting: 26 March 2025 Report Title: ALLOTMENT SITE REGULATIONS Report Number: 25/65 Report Author: Sarah Auld, Food Growing Officer – Community Greenspace Organisational Lead: Elaine Ritchie, Strategic Lead – Housing and Communities 1. PURPOSE 1.1 The purpose of this Report is to set out the proposed Allotment Site Regulations for all allotment sites on land owned or leased by Perth and Kinross Council and to seek approval for them. 1.2 Sections 1. Purpose 2. Recommendation(S) 3. Background/Main Issues 4. Impact Value Assessment 5. Appendices 2. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Committee: 2.1 Agree to the proposed Allotment Site Regulations set out in Appendix 1 for all allotment sites on land owned or leased by Perth and Kinross Council. 3. BACKGROUND/MAIN ISSUES 3.1 Historic Information/Context 3.1.1 The Perth & Kinross Council Food Growing Strategy (FGS) was approved in October 2021 following public engagement in October 2019 and January 2021 (Report 21/196 refers).
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The FGS responds to the Scottish Government’s vision to increase the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s communities by encouraging more people to grow, and eat, fruit and vegetables. Four key objectives were identified in the FGS, split into actions, one of which sets out to develop Allotment Site Regulations in line with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. 3.1.2 The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 defines an allotment as land that is owned or leased by a local authority or person from the authority and is used or intended for use wholly or mainly for the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, herbs or flowers, and otherwise than with a view to making a profit. 3.1.3 Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) established a devolved management model between itself and Community Allotment Associations (CAAs) (Report 11/304 refers). Under this model, the CAAs manage the day- to- day activities on their sites, the collection of rent from the plot holders, manage the waiting lists and provide suitable, available plots to those on the waiting list. Additionally, the CAAs each have their own set of rules and regulations that have been established alongside their constitution and lease, which they implement on their sites. 3.1.4 PKC supports communities to create allotment sites, where there is a proven demand by helping to establish the CAAs, to identify a suitable site by looking at underused/ derelict land owned by PKC, that is not suitable for housing, and creating a lease between itself and the CAAs. PKC also provide adequate training and guidance to the CAAs to adequately manage their allotment sites. Through this management model, PKC has successfully created and supported an additional four allotment sites since 2011. In total there are six allotment sites on land owned by PKC with a devolved management model and seven allotment sites on private land. 3.1.5 The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (sections 115(1) & 107) requires local authorities to make allotment site regulations for all allotment sites on land owned or leased by the local authority. Section 115(3) sets out what local authorities must include in the regulations, and section 115(4) sets out what local authorities may include in the regulations. Local authorities may make different provision for different allotment sites. 3.1.6 The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (section 116) requires local authorities to consult with persons appearing to have interest in the regulations. The current CAAs were consulted with for one month and a public advertisement was placed in The Courier stating the Council’s intentions to make the regulations. No representations were received. 3.2 Options Available to Elected Members 3.2.1 The Committee agrees to the proposed Allotment Site Regulations set out in Appendix 1.
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3.2.2 The Committee proposes alternative regulations be developed under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. 3.3 Rationale for Recommendations made in Section 2 3.3.1 The Allotment Site Regulations will enable the CAAs to be better supported in managing their allotment sites. 3.3.2 The Allotment Site Regulations will also provide a standard template for other CAAs to use when creating their own new allotment sites. 3.3.3 The Allotment Site Regulations will also make it fairer to plot holders across all of the allotment sites by providing a standardised set of regulations. 4. IMPACT VALUE ASSESSMENT Allotment_Site_Regulations_._05_02_2025.__._Report_author__Sarah_Auld__- Committee_Checklist___IVA.pdf 5. APPENDICES 5.1 Allotment Site Regulations 5.2 Map of all allotment sites on land owned by Perth and Kinross Council and their annual rents from the 2023/2024 financial year.